Apparatus for manufacturing a cereal food product



D. HALE ET AL May 1, 1956 APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A CEREAL FOOD PRODUCT Original Filed July 27, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l lrllul IIIIIIII! APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A CEREAL FOOD PRODUCT Original Filed July 27, 1949 D. HALE ET AL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 May L 1956 D. HALE ET AL 2,743,685

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A CEREAL FOOD PRODUCT Original Filed July 27, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 5/ MM M 6 cpma FIGS.

w L 1956 D. HALE ETAL 2,743,685

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A CEREAL FOOD PRODUCT Original Filed July 27, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 1, 1956 D. HALE ETAL 2,743,685

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A CEREAL FOOD PRODUCT Original Filed July 27, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 APPARATU FUR MANUFACTURHN G A CEREAL FQWD PRQDUCT Douglas Hale, University City, Mia, and Ellsworth Cl. Carpenter, Battle Creek, Mich, designers to Ralston Purina Company, St. Louis, Mo, a corporation of Missouri 3 Claims. (Cl. 1ll'7--2) This invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing a cereal food product, and more particularly a biscuit-type cereal food product composed of shredded cereal grain.

This application is a division of our copending application entitled Method for Manufacture of Cereal Food Products, Serial No. 107,004, filed July 27, 1949, issued as Patent 2,600,532, June 17, 1952.

The invention is concerned with apparatus for manufacturing a biscuit-type cereal food product composed of cooked, puffed and toasted shredded cereal grain wherein the shreds of grain are uniformly and completely pufl'ed, rather than being baked hard in some parts and incompletely puffed in others. in general, this is accomplished by making the product in the form of a hollow biscuit, which is composed of an outer network of shredded cereal grain. By using such a network, it is possible not only to dry the shreds uniformly but also to have hot pulling air in a puifing oven completely surround all the shreds, thereby to insure uniform, instantaneous and complete puffing. in manufacturing the biscuits according to the invention, cooked shredded cereal grain is formed into a plane network of shreds which have a vermicular form in a certain direction, being substantially spaced from one another in that direction. Then the network is formed into individual hollow bodies corresponding in size to the size of the biscuits to be made, and these hollow bodies are puffed.

Apparatus of this invention, in general, comprises a first and a second pair of rolls for shredding cooked cereal grain and forming the shreds into a lattice-like network. The rolls have annular and generally transverse network-forming grooves, the annular grooves being deeper than the transverse grooves. The rolls are positioned so that the networks delivered thereby are superimposed. A slitter is provided for slitting the superimposed networks into ribbons. A pair of forming rolls receives the resultant superimposed ribbons, one of these rolls having transverse ridges for cutting the ribbons and forming hollow bodies therefrom each consisting of two layers of network sealed together where cut. Other features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

in the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a liow sheet, diagrammatically illustrating an apparatus of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, with parts broken away and shown in section, of a set of shredding and networkforrning rolls of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig 2;

i rates Patent ice Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary plan view of a network formed by the rolls of Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a slitter of the apparatus, being a section taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a perspective of a cross-cut biscuit-forming roll of the apparatus, with parts broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 8 is a section taken substantially on line 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a much enlarged perspective of an individual biscuit as formed by the roll of Fig. 7, and prior to pufiing;

Fig. 10 is a perspective of the Fig. 9 biscuit after putting;

Fig. 11 is a view like Fig. 2 illustrating a modified form of the shredding and network-forming rolls;

Fig. 12 is a section taken on line 12-42 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a view like Fig. 7 illustrating a modified form of cross-cut biscuit-forming roll, with parts broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 14 is a perspective of the biscuit formed by the Fig. 13 roll, prior to pulling;

Fig. 15 is a perspective of the Fig. 14 biscuit after P Fig. 16 is an enlarged cross section of the Fig. 10 form of finished biscuit, being taken on line l616 of Fig. 10; and,

Fig. 17 is an enlarged cross section of the Fig. 15 form of finished biscuit, being taken on line 17-17 of Fig. 15.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The invention is herein described in reference to the production of a rice food product, problems in regard to which it best solves. It will be understood that the basic principles of the invention are applicable to cereal grains other than rice, for example, wheat and corn and oats.

First referring to Fig. 1, in preparing a rice product of this invention, dehulled and degerminized whole-grain rice is cooked with suitable flavoring ingredients in a pressure cooker 1. Flavoring ingredients may be varied depending upon the flavor desired in the finished product. Salt and sugar may be sufiicient for the purpose.

It may be desirable to use some malted barely extract to help give a light golden color and to bring out the delicate rice flavor. The salt content should be about 2% of the rice used. The sugar content should be from about 3% to 4%. If malted barley is used, it should be about 2% to 3%. The rice is cooked at about 1640 p. s. i. steam pressure for about 70-120 minutes. The moisture content of the cooked rice runs from about 32% to 36%.

Cooked rice discharged from the pressure cooker 1 is carried by a conveyor 3 to a thresher 5 for separating the individual grains. The grains drop into a drying reel 7 sloping downward to a lump breaker 9 which breaks up any lumps that may form. The grains drop out of the reel and fall by gravity through a drier 11. An upward flow of air is maintained in the drier. lice from the drier is delivered to and heated in a steamer 13 and then allowed to temper in a tempering bin 15. The tempering equalizes the moisture distribution throughout the rice and toughens the individual grains before shredding. The tempering may not be necessary if after drying its moisture distribution is correct. The rice is preferably dried down to from about 22% to 27% moisture and brought in the steamer to a temperature adapted for best results in shredding, the latter preferably being carried out at from about F. to F.

The cooked and tempered rice grains, having a moisture content from about 22% to 27%, and at a temperature from about 130 F. to 150 F., are shredded in two sets 17 and 19 of shredding and network-forming rolls to form two lattice-like sheet networks 21 and 23 pf cookedgrice shreds. The networks .formed-by.-the rolls' are supported and moved forward on an endless collector belt conveyor-25. "The set of rolls 19 is located rearward of the set of rolls 17 in relation to the direction ,of travel of the belt conveyor 25 so that .thesheet 21' formedby the setof 1'Q1l'sy17 is deposited fiatwiseupon the sheet123 formed by. the set of rolls 19, thus byinging the, sheets into laminated, relationship.

As shown 'inFigs. 2 and 3, the set of rolls 17 co1nprises, a Combination corrugated and cross-cut watercooled rol127 peripherally engaging a smooth. watercooled roll 29 and cooperating with the latter to shred a the rice and form the network 21 of shreds. .T he roll 27 is" formed with closely spaced annular grooves 31 defining its corrugations and with closely spaced..generallytransverse cross-cut grooves 33 which; are prefer- -ablythough, not necesarily cut on the'bias. Rice fed betweenthe rolls 27 and 29 is,,shredded.and formed into a lattice-like network consisting of continuouslongitudi nal yermicular shreds 35 and small transverse filament shreds 37 (Figs. 4 and 'The annular grooves 31. are considerably deeper and wider than the cross-cutgrooves '33, consequently the longitudinal vennicular shreds 35 are of considerably greater cross-sectional area than the transverse filament shreds 37.

The set of rolls 17 is arranged with the corrugated and cross-cut roll 27 in'front and the smooth roll 29 in back in respect to the direction of travel of thenet- "works. -The set-of rolls 19 is similarto the set of rolls 17 in comprising an identical corrugated and cross-cut roll 27 and an identical smooth roll 29, but in the set of rolls -;19 the corrugated and cross-cut roll 27 is in back and the smooth roll 29 in front. The bias of the cross- --cut grooves'33 is of value in preventing the rolls from clogging, particularly when the rolls 27 and 29, which are of-the same diameter, are'driven atsomewhat dif- ;ferent speeds.

The two lattice-like networks 21 and 23 of'cooked -shredded rice are carried forward by the belt conveyor -through a rotary longitudinal slitter 39 (Figs. 1 and 6) whichnslits them; into ribbons of relatively narrow width (of-the order of of an inch, for. example). -Thus, there issues from the slitterribbons 41 of l the network; material 21 superimposed on ribbons 43 of "the network material; 23. The large vermicularshreds are longitudinal and the fine-filaments are lateral with -respect to the ribbon lengths. The average diameters --of the vermicular shredsare several times those of the filaments. The slitter 39 consists of an upper knife roll 45- having a series of circular cutting :blades, 46 spaced at axial intervals corresponding to' the width of *the ribbons to be cut and'a lower mating roll-47 having -a series of grooves 48 receiving; the 'blades. The conveyor= 25 is guided under the lower roll 47, .as indicated at 49 in Fig. 1.

ThfiCOIlYCYOI' 25'lh6H carries the ribbons from the slitter into-the nip 'of a set of forming rolls 51. (Figs.

1, 7 and 8) which are adapted to convert the ribbons --into tube-like bodies 53 such as illustrated in Fig. 9. "The-set of forming rolls COIlSlSiQOf a cross-cut roll 55 and asmoothan vil roll 57. The cross-cut roll is formed on its-periphery'with axially extendingridges 59.- These --are spaced around the periphery of the roll at equal --intervals corresponding to the width of the biscuitsto --be formed, and define axial grooves 61 in the periphery of the roll. The cross-cut roll is also formed with peripheral;ridges 63 located in radial planes which are --axially--spaced at intervals corresponding .to,the .width "of-the ribbons 41 and 43 and consequently corresponding to the length of'the biscuits to be formed. These ridges 63am spaced;radially-inward of the axial ridges .59 as indicated at 65. The ridges 59 in conjunction with the ridges' 63'- defineshallow pockets '67. Ports 69Iextend j'through the shell of the crosscutroll SS from. thebottom ofeach pocket to the interior of ,theroll. Ai r,,u nder pressure is introduced into the interior of the rollthrough a hollow trunnion 71 for the roll and is directed by a --fixed nozzle 72 to blow out through a row of ports -69 "55 ejects the bodies from the pockets.

9 dried to about 8% to 15% moisture content.

located forward of the nip of the rolls in the direction of their travel to eject formed biscuits from the pockets.

The superimposed ribbons 41 and 43 are fed forward into the nip of the rolls 55 and 57. The axial ridges 59 of the roll 55 press the ribbons together alonglines .yvhich extend transversely across the ribbons at longitudinally spaced intervals to form the individual hollow, pillowshaped, open-ended tubular bodies 53 illustrated' iriQFig.

9, cutting off such bodies at the foremost end of each pair of ribbons 41 and 43. Each of the bodies 53'. consists of two rectangular layers 75 and 77 of the network of from the ridges 59. The, diameter of the cross-cutroll '55 is greater than that of the anvil roll 57 and, as itforms the bodies, it bulges out the network material of the upper ribbons 41 intothe' pockets 67. As the bodies emerge from between the rolls, air from within the cross-cutroll The bodies 53 formed by the rolls 55 and 57 are carriedthrough a drying oven 83 (Fig. 1) wherein they are This takes from about twenty to thirty minutes-with a drying temperature from about 180 F. to 250 F.

Then, the dried-(8% to 15% moisture) bodies-53 are pufiedin a pulling oven 85 (Fig. 1) wherein-they are discolor. The putfingoperation lowers the moisture. con

M tent of the bodies to approximately 3%. or 4%. vIt being in the nature of a hot flash also causes theshreds to expand and form the biscuits of the hollow, generally, openendedpillow-shape illustrated in Fig. 10.

- Finally, the puffed biscuits 73 are toasted in a toasting oven 87 (Fig. 1) at a temperature from about 250 F. to 275 F. to provide a delicate golden brown toasted color, and, after toasting, are quickly cooled with air at room temperature in a cooler 89 (Fig. 1) so that.they may be quickly packed.

. Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate a modified form of the shredding and network-forming rolls 17 and 19, Wherein'each of sets 17 and 19 comprises a corrugated water-cooled roll 91 cooperating with a cross-cut water-cooled roll-93 to shred the rice and form the network of shreds. As

shown, the roll 91 is formed with closely spaced annular grooves 95 and the roll 93 is formed with shallower'closely spaced generally transverse cross-cut grooves 97 which are preferably though not necessarily cut on the bias. These rolls function to form a network substantially like thatformed by the rolls 27 and 29. When they are used, the roll 91 is the back roll in the set 19 and thefront roll in the set 17.

Fig. 13 illustrates a cross-cut biscuit-forming roll101 similar to the roll 55 but modified to form closed-end instead. of open-end biscuits. The roll 101 is identical with the roll 55 except that the peripheral ridges-.103 of the roll v101 are of the same outer diameter as the axial ridges 59, instead of being spaced radially inward from V the axial ridges as in the roll 55. The roll '101 forms the hollow-closed-end generally pillow-shaped illustrated in Fig. 15.

The formation of the biscuit from the lattice-like networks of vermicular shreds joined by filaments is most advantageous in that with this formation the superficial surface area of shreds contacted by hot air in the pufiing oven is very large in proportion to the volume of the shreds. Thus, all of the shreds are substantially uniformly flash puffed, with a sort of explosive or popping action, which would not occur otherwise. With the network forrnation, and particularly the formation with the transverse filament shreds 37 considerably smaller than the longitudinal vermicular shreds 35, wherein there is such a high ratio of surface area to volume of the shreds, and with the hollow biscuit formation, the hot pufiing air can surround the individual shreds of the network inside and outside and puff them uniformly with sub stantially no incompletely puffed or merely hard-baked shreds. This is particularly true of the vermiculate shreds.

As shown in cross sectional Figs. 16 and 17, each hiscuit is entirely hollow with the puffed vermiculate shreds 35 forming a cage the shreds of which are joined laterally only by the small pulfed filaments 37. The resultis a desirable, delicate hollow product which is sufiiciently strong to withstand abrasion without crumbling when packaged, but having a frangibility (due to its hollow form and the delicate filaments) that when chewed it crunches with slight efiort.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for manufacturing a cereal food product comprising a first and a second means for shredding cooked cereal grain and forming the shreds into a latticelike network, each of said shredding means comprising a pair of rolls having annular and generally transverse network-forming grooves, the annular grooves being deeper than the transverse grooves, said first and said second shredding means being positioned so that the networks delivered thereby become superimposed, a slitter for slitting the superimposed networks into ribbons, and a pair of forming rolls positioned to receive the resultant superimposed ribbons, one of the forming rolls having transverse ridges for cutting the superimposed ribbons and forming hollow bodies therefrom each consisting of two layers of network sealed together where cut.

2. Apparatus for manufacturing a cereal food product comprising a first and a second means for shredding cooked cereal grain and forming the shreds into a latticelike network, each of said shredding means comprising a pair of rolls having annular and generally transverse network-forming grooves, the annular grooves being deeper than the transverse grooves, said first and said second shredding means being positioned so that the networks delivered thereby become superimposed, a slitter for slitting the superimposed networks into ribbons, and a pair of forming rolls positioned to receive the resultant superimposed ribbons, one of the forming rolls having trans verse ridges and annular ridges of the same height as the transverse ridges and transversely spaced at distance corresponding to the width of the ribbons for cutting the superimposed ribbons and forming closed-end hollow bodies therefrom each consisting of two layers of network sealed together where engaged by the ridges.

3. Apparatus for manufacturing a cereal food product comprising a first and a second means for shredding cooked cereal grain and forming the shreds into a latticelike network, each of said shredding means comprising a pair of rolls having annular and generally transverse network-forming grooves, the annular grooves being deeper than the transverse grooves, said first and said second shredding means being positioned so that the networks delivered thereby become superimposed, a slitter for slitting the superimposed networks into ribbons, and a pair of forming rolls positioned to receive the resultant superimposed ribbons, one of the forming rolls having transverse ridges for cutting the superimposed networks and forming hollow bodies therefrom each consisting of two layers of network sealed together where cut, said one forming roll having annular ridges shallower than the transverse ridges and transversely spaced a distance corresponding to the width of the ribbons, whereby the hollow bodies are formed with open ends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 475,607 Petersen May 24, 1892 502,378 Perky et al. Aug. 1, 1893 520,496 Perky May 29, 1894 546,488 Heese Sept. 17, 1895 614,338 Perky d. Nov. 15, 1898 831,910 Valentine Sept. 25, 1906 1,062,627 Wililams May 27, 1913 1,809,263 Acosta June 9, 1931 2,155,952 Noxon et al Apr. 25, 1939 2,338,588 Kishlar et al. Jan. 4, 1944 

1. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A CEREAL FOOD PRODUCT COMPRISING A FIRST AND A SECOND MEANS FOR SHREDDING COOKED CEREAL GRAIN AND FORMING THE SHEDS INTO A LATTICELIKE NETWORK, EACH OF SAID SHREDDING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF ROLLS HAVING ANNULAR AND GENERALLY TRANSVERSE NETWORK-FORMING GROOVES, THE ANNULAR GROOVES BEING DEEPER THAN THE TRANSVERSE GROOVES, SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND SHREDDING MEANS BEING POSITIONED SO THAT THE NETWORKS DELIVERED THEREBY BECOME SUPERIMPOSED, A SLITTER FOR SLITTING THE SUPERIMPOSED NETWORKS INTO RIBBONS, AND A PAIR OF FORMING ROLLS POSITIONED TO RECEIVE THE RESULTANT SUPERIMPOSED RIBBONS, ONE OF THE FORMING ROLLS HAVING TRANSVERSE RIDGES FOR CUTTING THE SUPERIMPOSED RIBBONS AND 